Florence
Florence keeps an exceptional artistic heritage which is a marvelous evidence of its aged culture. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as Arnolfo di Cambio and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio forefathers of the Renaissance operated in Florence, Lorenzo Ghiberti and the Della Robbia worked in Florence, Filippo Lippi and Beato Angelico were based in Florence; Sandro Botticelli, Paolo Uccello made of Florence their home and the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti are surely the 2 names to which Florence is more commonly associated to.
Their works, together with those of many other generations of artists up to the artists of our century, are gathered in the several Florence museums of the town: the Uffizi gallery, the most selected gallery in the world and main Florence museum, the Palatina gallery with the paintings of the "Golden Ages".
The Bargello national museum, once the political building of Florence with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Angelico's works, the Academy gallery, the chapels of the Medicis once the rulers of Florence, Buonarroti's house with the sculptures of Michelangelo, the following Florence museums: Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, The museum of the Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of Precious Stones. Florence boasts many other great monuments and landmarks of its artistic culture: the Baptistry with its mosaics and the the incredible Paradise golden door; Florence Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the "Certosa".
The archeological museum of Florence includes documents of Etruscan civilization.
In fact the Florence is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the Stendhal syndrome as they encounter its art for the first time.
We will pick you up at your hotel or other accomodation around 9.a.m. and we will visit together our beautiful city of flowers.
Whether it be a day or half a day we will show you the most charming corners, but only after pointing out and describing to you the main points of interest like the piazzale Michelangelo’s overlook, the Cathedral , Palazzo Vecchio (the city hall) the Old Bridge, the churches of San Miniato and Santa Croce (where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried) and much much more.
If you decide to make it a full day we will also give you time to relax and satisfy your palate at a Local trattoria (home made kitchen) in the country side if you need to take a well deserved break from the sightseeing.
We also know that the city is a perennial shopping temptation So if you decide to indulge we will point out to you the finest and most exclusive leather, gold, clothing, art, antique, wine shops in town.
Back on the road we will drive you up to the hill-top village of Fiesole, The local "Beverly Hills" with the most outstanding views of Florence. We will drive pass the roman amphitheatre which dates back to 80 b.c.
Next to the amphitheatre are the etruscan ruins.
The etruscans, a misterious population apparently from the middle east, were the first settlers of central Italy in the 7th century b.c..Back then, Fiesole was one of the most important towns of the area. The etruscans were divided into many different tribes; therefore needed protection from each other.
This explains their need to build their villages high up on hill-tops. Before the romans could set their military camp in what would have become the city of Florentia (Florence) in 59 b.c. they had to conquer Fiesole.
It took quite some time, but in the end they succeded.
Today the remains of both these civilizations can be seen one next to each other in this special archaeological area. It will then be time to return to your accomodation; but not first having a taste of the world’s best ice-cream., overlooking the superb panoramic view.
|
